Jonah Lehrer

Jonah Lehrer is an author and journalist who writes often about neuroscience and psychology. He has published two books, "Proust Was a Neuroscientist," about the connections between science and the humanities, and "How We Decide," about the brain and decision-making. He has written for The New Yorker about the science of insight and about the psychology of delayed gratification.

Jonah Lehrer, author of How We Decide, discusses the limitations of rational thought and explains that while the human prefrontal cortex is a "magnificent piece of machinery," it easily short circuits when given too much information.

Conversely, he argues, there are many instances when it is wise to trust the instinctual part of the brain.